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Webber boosted by first 'real' pole of season; Vettel not upset with second

October 12, 2012

In the photo above from Japan, it was Sebastian Vettel who led teammate Mark Webber. But in Korea on Saturday, it was Webber who took the lead and took the pole. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Mark Webber surprised his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel with a superb performance to steal pole position qualifying for Korea's Formula One race.

In May Webber inherited the top spot in Monaco–where he won–after Michael Schumacher's grid penalty was taken into account, but this was his first genuine pole of the season. He admitted that it had not been an easy session.

“We had a few plates spinning, to be honest, with some little background issues that we were managing as best we could on the lap,” said Webber. “But the lap was very good, apart from turn 15, I made a mistake there so, yeah, probably got in OK but the exit wasn't great but apart from that it worked well. I think I got 11 and 12 as good as I could get.

“So, yeah, take the rough with the smooth. I think it was a tight session, I think, for all of us–up and down, scrubbed tires, new tires. Fernando did a pretty solid lap time on the scrubbed at some point there. So, yeah, that's just the way it is. With the old Pirellis, things can move around quite a bit.

Webber was hampered by a software issue that cost him priceless track time in FP3.

“We didn't get to run anywhere near as much as we would have liked to in P3, so our information on the option was limited. So there was a bit of catch-up going on for sure.

“After my first run on the option in Q2, I had not the best sector two and three for balance issues and also some other things that Ciaron was working on to get the car to finish the lap better–so that's what we focused on in Q3. And got the job done.”

Webber said the team had made good progress since the August break.

“We have been making small developments at each Grand Prix, that's the way it is. If you look at where the car is from Spa, obviously it's a different aero package for Spa and Monza, but to where it is now, the base of the car for sure is probably a decent step but it's always ... every Grand Prix, we try to just put little bits on the car to help.

“At some Grands Prix we don't put anything on, we miss and at the next one we catch up a bit more, and also, you have to bear in mind that it's circuit-specific as well. You have to understand what each track needs and those type of things, so the last two venues have probably been pretty good for us in terms of layout, especially the last one.

“Yeah, happy drivers are drivers at the front so when you're towards the front it makes you satisfied but we can still improve the car, there are always areas to improve. That's what we've got to keep working on.”

Starting second is still OK, Vettel insists

Sebastian Vettel did his best to hide his disappointment after being beaten to pole in Korea by Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

Vettel topped Q1, Q2 and the first runs in Q3, but lost out when it mattered on the final runs.

However, in 2011 he passed pole man Lewis Hamilton on the first lap on his way to an easy victory, so he's not too concerned.

“Obviously I have good memories from last year with Lewis, when he was on pole,” said Vettel. “I think we'll see tomorrow that it's a long race. Surely the lap was fine, but I should have been a little bit quicker, so I wasn't able in the end to do the final step, especially in the second sector.

“I think sector one and sector three were fine, but we got a little bit mixed-up second sector, so I think if you look at the lap times in the end it was fairly close. I think we're happy with second and a front row for Red Bull Racing. Obviously the car seems to work well, I think in the race we might be even in a little bit better place. Let's see what we can do tomorrow.”

Vettel is not worried about starting on the dirty side of the track: “I don't think it's a big disadvantage. Surely I think I would rather be on pole but qualifying is over so we start from second and I don't think it's a big problem. Last year we made a good launch and I think here that you never know what happens.

“You might as well start third, fourth, fifth and you could end up first by turn four, so you don't know. There's a long straight after the second corner. Obviously I had a tight battle with Lewis last year so these things you have to take them as they come, so it's difficult to know now what's going to happen, but first of all I will focus on the start and then go from there.”